Pokemon: Legends
by TurtleMaster217
Summary: Ash finishes his Kalos journey, and returns home to Pallet Town. But when Dravven, a sarcastic time-traveling Draconid, warns Ash of a mysterious plot that could tear the world to pieces, it's up to him and his friends to stop the sinister Team Shade and their army of Legendary Pokémon. AmourShipping vs. AdvanceShipping. AuraAsh.
1. Prologue: Legend

**A/N Holy crap, what a way to make an impression. I am terribly sorry for the problems that the first chapter had. Hopefully this document can fix it or whatever. Anyways, enjoy (for real this time) and review!**

Pallet Town, Kanto, twenty years ago.

It was pouring. Lightning flashed in arcs across the sky, with the roar of thunder following soon after. The flapping of wings could be heard, as well as the scuffle of feet. Humans and Pokémon alike were doing everything they could to get out of the rainstorm. Everyone, it seemed, except for two people.

The seventeen year old boy stood out in the rain, ignoring the water droplets that left him drenched. At his side, he held a strange sword with a blue gem embedded in the hilt. He wore naught a hat or a hood to cover his head or face; his jet-black hair would be messy no matter what he covered it with. His brown eyes scanned the girl in front of him, taking in every beautiful feature she carried. Her own amber eyes did the same. She would miss him, although she hoped he wouldn't be gone terribly long.

The girl was also seventeen. Her auburn hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore a jacket that used to belong to the boy in front of her, until she had playfully claimed it two years prior. Its hood was not up; she opted to let the rain do to her what it did to him. The two stood there for a long time, staring into each other's eyes. The boy sighed.

"You know I have to do this. It's my-"

"Destiny, I know," the girl snapped. "I'm just afraid I'll never see you again."

The man smiled. "I have Sandslash and Raichu. Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise I will see your smile again."

The girl sniffed, then began sobbing. The boy wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. They held each other in the rain, letting the water droplets wash their worries away. After what seemed like much too short of a time, the girl pulled away.

"Are you sure you don't want me to watch Dratini?"

"I'm sure. He might be important later on, and he needs training. The best way to train is to fight off the Apocalypse, right?"

The girl shook her head, smiling. "Okay then, Mr. Big-Shot, go save tomorrow."

The boy nodded and pulled a Poke Ball from his belt. He pressed the central button and tossed it into the rain, where it was barely visible. The ball clicked open, and a short energy stream burst forth, allowing a Lucario to blink into existence. Using their combined power, the boy and his Pokémon opened a swirling vortex of blue energy. The boy walked towards it, then turned and raised his sword in farewell. He strode into the portal, leaving the crying girl behind.

 **A/N Yeah, I know, it's short. Then again, it's only the prologue. The first draft of Chapter One is about 4 and a half pages long right now (Google Docs format), so expect that sometime soon. Again, please review!**


	2. The Kalos Region Finals

**A/N: The characters in this story are much older than their anime counterparts. Ash and Serena are sixteen, Clemont is fifteen, Bonnie is thirteen (and she owns her own Pokemon, instead of having Clemont babysit them for her), and Brock is eighteen. Another thing to note is that I am introducing quite a few new Mega Evolutions, including the Kalos Starters. I've been rambling too long, enjoy!**

Sanpei had been sprinting for quite a while.

That, of course, didn't matter to him, seeing as he was a "Ninja Master" or whatever. Eventually he skidded a halt, deciding that he wasn't fit for running that long. He bent over, placing his hands on his knees and continued to breathe heavily. He took his water bottle off of his belt and noted that it was finally empty. He glanced over at Greninja, who still hadn't broken a sweat. Sanpei gestured to his water bottle, which Greninja refilled using a Water Gun attacked fired from his hands. Sanpei nodded in thanks, quaffed the liquid, then took off running once more.

Sanpei let out an involuntary sigh of relief as he heard the roar of a gargantuan crowd over a nearby hill. He quickly scrambled up the mound, and frowned as a large stadium came into view. He glanced at Greninja, who was looking at Sanpei quizzically. His job wasn't going to be easy…

* * *

 _The thought of Ash winning fills me with determination._

So thought Serena as her blue eyes scanned the battlefield, resting on Ash longer than Sawyer, Ash's Greninja, or Sawyer's Sceptile. She knew he had lost countless other conferences before, but she really hoped he'd win this one. So far, he'd manage to outshine all of his other opponents, making it into the finals.

But would he be the best? After traveling with him enough, he knew he had it in him. But she felt like something was holding him back. And she was afraid it was her.

Attending all of Serena's Pokemon Showcases had really cut into Ash's training time. She had told him he didn't have to come, but he insisted on attending all of her performances anyways. Bonnie had also told her that she had noticed Ash looking at the honey-blonde in a different way recently. Not a bad different, either.

No matter how bad she liked him, she couldn't let love hold him back.

"GO ASH!" Serena shouted, causing Clemont, Bonnie, and Miette to jump, seeing as she'd been relatively silent the entire match. Miette snickered, Bonnie smiled knowingly, and Clemont just looked oblivious. Shrugging, he turned back to the battle, just in time to hear the announcer say…

"Greninja is unable to battle, victory goes to Sceptile!"

Even though both Pokemon were Mega Evolved, grass was still stronger than water, so Sceptile obviously had the upper hand in this round. That meant they were both down to one Pokemon. The match could go either way from this point on.

"Alright, Pikachu," Ash muttered. "It's time."

Pikachu leaped from his resting position on Ash's shoulder and landed perfectly on the ground, electricity already sparking between his cheeks.

Sceptile rolled his eyes, knowing that Pikachu's typing compared to the lizard's would make the match short. Sawyer smiled. "Piece of cake."

Ash shouted, "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Pikachu nodded, then broke into a four-legged sprint. When he reached the optimum position, he leaped into the air, using both his angle and his speed to his advantage. Sceptile raised his arms and batted him away easily. Pikachu landed upright, not too far away. The electric mouse was still confident.

"Sceptile! Razor Leaf!"

"Dodge it!"

Swiftly, Pikachu hopped left and right, avoiding major injury but still exiting the storm with a few minor cuts.

"Pikachu, let's show Sawyer what we've been working on!" Pikachu nodded, electricity flaring inside his cheeks once more.

Serena raised her eyebrows. Since Ash insisted on attending all of Serena's Pokemon Showcases, he had to find other times to train, usually late at night when the rest of the world was asleep. Serena had asked to follow him on a few occasions, but Ash always declined, saying he had a "surprise" for the Kalos Conference.

Serena was worried for Sceptile's health.

Sawyer crossed his arms, prepared for whatever Ash had in store. Sceptile rolled its eyes and maintained its battle stance.

At first, it seemed like Pikachu was charging up a normal Electro Ball attack. Sceptile shook his head and raised its arms to block. However, when Pikachu's tail started to glow, Sawyer began to worry.

 _What is he playing at?_

* * *

Diantha observed the two opponents from the screen. She glanced around at the other trainers around her. While Malva was typing on her phone irritatedly, Siebold, Wikstrom, and Drasna were following their Champion's lead: trying to guess who was going to win while simultaneously learning the battle styles of the trainers on screen.

Siebold jumped as Malva's phone rang. He glared at her, and she sighed. "I have to take this, tell me if anything interesting happens."

Diantha raised her eyebrows as the fire-type trainer left the room. She was definitely behaving unusually. She glanced at the three remaining Elite Four members. Wikstrom seemed not to notice, Siebold seemed not to care, but Drasna was frowning.

The dragon-type trainer glanced around at the others in the room. "Did any of you, perhaps, see who she was talking to?"

* * *

"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!" Sawyer shouted impatiently.

"Now!"

Pikachu sent his Electro Ball into the air, then jumped and slammed it downwards using Iron Tail. The combined electric/steel attack slammed into Sceptile, knocking him across the battlefield. Before Sceptile had time to recover, Pikachu slammed into him with a Quick Attack.

The crowd gasped at the three-move combo, then broke out into cheering.

"Come on, Sceptile, get up!" Sawyer looked worried, but smiled when the lizard shakily rose to its feet. "Dragon Tail!"

Surprise dawned on Ash's face. _A dragon-type move? How? Isn't Sceptile a pure grass-type?_

Sceptile used both Ash and Pikachu's surprise to its advantage, striking the mouse in the face while Ash sat stunned on the sidelines.

"Come on, Ash, snap out of it…" Serena murmured on the sidelines.

Ash shook his head and twisted his cap backwards. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Sceptile, Energy Ball!"

The two attacks clashed, creating an explosion which knocked both Pokemon back. Sceptile recovered first, and a coughing Sawyer shouted, "Leaf Blade!" Sceptile rushed towards Pikachu and slashed the mouse, sending him soaring into the air.

"Pika pi!"

"Pikachu!" Ash sprinted towards the mouse and caught it in his hands before it could hit the ground. Pikachu's lack of energy was evident, and Ash refused to let his friend keep battling. He smiled. "You did great, buddy. You deserve a good rest."

"Sceptile, return!"

Ash turned as Sawyer walked across the field towards Ash. He smiled and outstretched his hand. "That was some battle, man. You almost had me there. We'll have to have a rematch soon."

Ash nodded. "For sure." He grasped his rival's hand, and the crowd cheered.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Mr. Goodshow shouted into his microphone as he held up the trophy. "The winner of this year's Kalos Conference, Sawyer!" Sawyer lifted up the trophy and the crowd cheered. The sky lit up with fireworks.

Ash would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. He had worked harder than ever to win this particular conference, and yet he still came up short. He sighed, but smiled anyways. He couldn't wait to see his friends again.

Particularly Serena.

* * *

Serena glanced nervously at the door of the Pokemon Center.

She had been doing that for the past half hour she had been waiting for Ash's return. Unwanted thoughts kept running through Serena's mind as she waited. _What if he gave up on his goals? What if he ditched us? What if-_

"Hey guys!"

Serena jumped out of her seat and sprinted over to Ash, throwing her arms around him. "Ash, you did amazing!"

Ash's cheeks burned red, and, upon noticing what she was doing, so did Serena's. She stepped back awkwardly and smiled. Ash scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess Top 2 isn't too bad."

Serena frowned. "'Too bad?'"

"That's better than the other five conferences you've participated in, and I was there for four of them."

The group jumped as a new voice spoke up. Ash turned to see a familiar tan-skinned Pokemon Doctor, who was grinning widely. "I'm assuming you'd like your Pokemon patched up?"

"Brock!" Ash exclaimed.

"Who else?"

"What're you doing here?"

Brock smirked. "Someone has to patch up the participants' Pokemon."

"Ash, who's this?" Clemont asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Guys, this is Brock. He was a former Gym Leader and traveling companion of mine, until he decided to become a Pokemon Doctor at the end of my Sinnoh venture." Ash turned back to Brock, grinning. "I assume the gig's going well?"

"Of course. Come with me, and I'll heal up your Pokemon. Then we should go get something to eat. I'm starving."

Ash hadn't noticed, but he was too. His stomach growled. "Yeah, sure thing."

"WAIT!"

The group jumped a second time as Sanpei the ninja bursted through the front doors of the Pokemon Center, looking worn out. Greninja calmly entered the center behind him.

"Wow, Ash, you have a lot of friends," Miette murmured.

"Ash, you can't go back to Pallet!"

Ash raised his eyebrows. "What, no hello or anything? Also, excuse me?"

"Look, there's some weird stuff going on. You may have beaten Kagetomo once, but he's back, and he wants revenge. Revenge on you, revenge on your friends, revenge on your Pokemon, everything!"

Brock raised his eyebrows. "Sir...or ninja...I'll need to ask you to calm down. Loud outbursts make our patients nervous."

Sanpei took a deep breath. "Alright...there's a plot. Kagetomo is uniting a group of the biggest, baddest members of society in an attempt to rule the world, according to the elders. They told me that you're the only one who can stop it."

"Look, man, I have no clue what you're talking about. But there's no way I'm _not_ going back to Kanto. If what you say is true, I have to warn Professor Oak. If there's anyone who knows what's going on, it's him."

Serena frowned. "You're just going to believe him?"

Ash sighed. "Serena, I've seen some pretty crazy stuff in my travels. I watched a town get ripped into another dimension, I fought a bunch of Legendary Pokemon that Hoopa decided to phase into existence, and I've even died a few times. Sanpei's story doesn't seem too far fetched."

"Wait, you've _died?_ "

"Yep," Brock answered grimly. "I was there for two of those times."

"Wow, Ash, you've been through a lot," Bonnie said. But then her face lit up. "But that just makes you even cooler! Let's go stop Kagetomo!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Clemont said. "We're not going anywhere. We still have to watch the gym, remember? Plus, I don't want you in danger."

Bonnie huffed and turned away.

"Look, Sanpei, thanks for the warning, but I'm going back to Pallet Town," Ash said. "If Kagetomo is plotting against me, that means he's most likely plotting against my family too. My mom needs to be warned. Plus, I'll need all the help I can get, and only my Pokemon can offer that."

Sanpei crossed his arms. "Fair enough. Sadly, I won't be able to help you. There are others who need to be warned."

"I'm coming with you," Serena spoke up. "Even if it's not okay with my mom, I won't sit idly by while my friends are in danger."

"Neither will I," Brock said. "I need to head back to Kanto anyways, get my Pokemon from the gym back at my side."

Everyone looked at Miette. The blue-haired girl blinked. "I'll be busy, sorry. Kanto's pretty far away for my taste anyways."

"Alright," Sanpei sighed. "I have to warn the others. Good luck Ash, Brock, Serena. I'll try my best to help however I can, although I can't guarantee anything."

"It's fine," Ash responded, and the ninja left with his Pokemon in tow.

Ash turned to the others, who each wore different facial expressions. Brock looked excited, Serena looked worried, Miette was content with indifference, Clemont was nervous, and Bonnie glared angrily at her brother. But Ash only had one thing on his mind.

"So, uh, food?"

 **A/N: There you have it, the first full-length chapter of Pokemon: Legends! As always, please review! Because I am still working on Minecraft Origins: Enderborn, I will be switching between updates. So, the next chapter of Enderborn should be up on the Minecraft Forum tomorrow, and then I'll get to work on the next chapter of this story! Don't expect the next update to be as quick as this one, because I'm still busy with school and stuff XD thanks for reading!**


	3. The Coming Darkness

**A/N: Sorry this is such a dialogue-centric chapter, the next one will be more action-oriented. Enjoy!**

"You know, you look really stupid with those binoculars."

Two people and a Meowth floated through the air on a hot-air balloon, which was "cleverly" shaped like the Meowth's head. One of the people, a woman with fiery hair and an equally fiery temper, was leaning out of the balloon, a pair of binoculars pressed to her eyes. Her companion, a calm man with blue hair, was scolding her. Both of them wore clothes emblazoned with a large red letter R.

"Don't scold me, James," Jessie snapped, watching as a fairly large ship pulled out of the Coumarine Harbor. "I bet you'd look just as stupid."

"No, I don't think I would," James replied. "I actually know how to hold those, and _enlarge_ the image."

"Ohhhhh," Jessie said, shifting the binoculars around. "That makes more sense."

The Meowth sighed, then began speaking. "Y'know, why don't we just swoop down there and steal Pikachu right now? They'd never be able to catch us."

"I think we've tried that before," James noted, scratching his chin. "Many times."

"Ugh, why do we even bother?" Jessie sighed, flinging the binoculars off of the balloon. "Why don't we go like, catch a Rhydon or something? I'm sure it'd be a lot more powerful than that twerp's electric mouse."

James blinked. "The boss _specifically_ asked for that Pikachu. I don't know why he wants it so bad, but it's better to just listen to him."

"Yes, but he wanted it _six years ago_. I'm starting to think he's just been trying to get us out of his hair."

The two slowly turned to each other as realization dawned on their faces. Meowth bursted into tears. "The boss don't like us no more!"

"That just means we have to double our efforts!" James declared. "If we bring the boss that Pikachu, and maybe the rest of the twerp's Pokémon, he'd probably promote us from Grunt status to Higher Grunt status!"

"Then what're we waiting for?!" Jessie asked. "Can this thing move any faster?"

"Of course not. It's a hot air balloon...by the way, why the _hell_ are we using a hot air balloon?"

Both trainers turned to Meowth, who chuckled nervously. "C'mon, guys, it's stylish!"

* * *

Ash gazed across the rippling waves, replaying yesterday's events in his mind over and over. His Pikachu was perched on the railing beside him, doing the same. Both had different thoughts running through their heads.

Ash had lost another conference. Not only that, but he was being hunted by a bloodthirsty ninja maniac. He had no clue what to do, and he had to warn his mom and Professor Oak. The raven-haired trainer sighed. He slumped further forward on the railing.

"You know, Pikachu, this is starting to get old."

Pikachu blinked. "Chu?"

"I've been through six regions," he continued. "Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and now Kalos. I still haven't won a single conference. I train so hard, for so long, and this is how I'm rewarded. How we're _both_ rewarded. Always let down. Plus, we're always being targeted by someone. You by Team Rocket, me by literally every other terrorist organization. I just don't know what to do anymore."

Pikachu hopped up and down. "Pika pi!"

Ash smiled a little. He looked up, fixing his gaze on the magnificent sunset that bathed the sky a beautiful scarlet. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Brock's back with us, after his two-year absence. And we have Serena." His smile grew even more as he thought of the honey-blonde trainer. "Her, her charisma, her enthusiasm, her beauty…" Pikachu nodded encouragingly, smiling. "Her eyes…"

"Who're you talking about?"

Ash jumped as Brock joined him on the upper deck of the cruise ship. The former breeder was dressed in a traveling outfit that mirrored the one he wore when he traveled with Ash. Brock gaped at the sky. "Wow, that sunset is something else. Also, you're not talking about Officer Jenny, are you? Because I agree wholeheartedly with your statements."

Ash smirked and shook his head. "You're hopeless."

"And you're talking about that Serena girl. Come on, I'm not that dense."

Ash sighed, nodding. "Yeah, I am. You won't tell her?"

"My lips are sealed."

"Where is she, anyways?'

"Want to marvel at her some more? You can't, she's taking a shower, although I suppose that's always an option…"

Ash punched Brock's arm, grinning and slightly red-faced. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Of course not," Brock replied. "So, what do you think that Sanpei guy meant about the whole 'uniting the worst of the worst' deal?"

"Well," Ash started. "He probably meant the leaders of all of the villain teams we've fought. You know, Cyrus, Lysandre, Ghetsis, all them. How he's going to manage to get Team Aqua and Team Magma to work together, I have no clue."

Brock sighed. "Well, isn't that just great. We're going to need all of the help we can get. Meeting up with Misty again wouldn't be such a bad idea, would it?"

"I guess not," Ash said, thinking. "I'm not sure, though. I'm pretty sure she used to like me, and I don't want a weird love triangle to take away my focus from the task at hand. Plus, she's probably busy anyways, being a Gym Leader and all."

"True."

Pikachu's ears perked up as Serena walked onto the deck, seeming perfectly relaxed. She was wearing a black tank-top, blue jeans, and tennis shoes, a style that was completely opposite of her normal look. She stood next to Ash, marveling at the sunset as Brock had previously. "Wow, that's something else."

 _So are you_ , Ash thought. "Yeah, it is."

The trio stood there a while, joking around and just enjoying each other's company. Brock and Serena's budding friendship grew stronger as the two talked about cooking, and Ash threw in a few remarks about the consuming of their cooking. Sadly, the peace was interrupted by the arrival of an all-too familiar Meowth-headed hot air balloon.

"Arceus damn it," Ash muttered.

"Team Rocket is _still_ following you?" Brock stated incredulously. "Wow, they have no lives."

Jessie and James hopped onto the deck of the ship, Poké Balls in hand. Jessie started the annoying and all-too-familiar chant: "Prepare for trouble, you terrible twerps!"

"And make it-"

"-quick," Ash interrupted, rolling his eyes. "It's not like we've heard your chant a million times before. Plus, we're kind of on a tight schedule, because I have to save the world again or whatever."

Meowth sighed. "Really, again? It's like the universe wants you dead."

"I know, right?"

"I'm assuming you're here to steal Pikachu again?" Brock inquired, raising his eyebrows.

"Rock twerp? What are you doing here?" James asked, scratching his head. "I thought you were training to become a nurse or something."

"Ugh!" Jessie sighed, throwing her hands up in exaggeration. "Why don't you just give us Pikachu, so we can show the boss that we're worth his time! Then we can all move on with our pitiful lives, and it all ends happy!"

"Not for Pikachu!" Serena countered.

"Fine," Jessie said through clenched teeth. "If you won't hand over your yellow rodent peacefully, we'll take it by force! Gourgeist, show these twerps what Team Rocket's made of!" After the chuck of a Poké Ball and a flash of light, a strange black pumpkin-like creature appeared, ready for action.

"Malamar, go!" James shouted, releasing his own Pokémon. The Overturning Pokemon appeared on the deck of the ship, looking extremely intimidating. Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder, electricity flaring, while Serena and Brock sent out Delphox and Gabite, respectively.

"A Gabite!" Ash exclaimed. "Where did you get him?"

Brock just smiled. "Gabite, Dragon Claw on Malamar!"

"Delphox, Flamethrower on Gourgeist!"

Pikachu looked between Team Rocket's Pokémon then turned to Ash for instruction. Ash looked between the two, then his gaze settled on a certain talking cat. "Thunderbolt on Meowth!"

"Oh, no you don't!" James shouted. "Malamar, use Dark Pulse on Delphox!"

"And Gourgeist, follow up with a Grass Knot on Gabite!"

Meowth lounged in the balloon, electing to stay out of the fight, but decided to sharpen his claws after Pikachu set his murderous gaze on the feline. He hopped onto the deck of the ship and used Pay Day to launch a barrage of coins at the electric mouse.

The attacks of the six Pokémon clashed, leading to an explosion that rocked the boat. Ash threatened to topple overboard, but Serena grabbed his hand in the nick of time. She flashed him a quick smile, then returned her attention to Team Rocket. Ash rubbed the back of his head before shouting, "Pikachu, finish Meowth with Electro Ball!"

Pikachu obliged, sending the cat flying. Meowth crashed into Jessie and James, and the three landed in a heap. Gourgeist turned to frown at its trainer, while Malamar continued its battle against Gabite. Delphox, on the other hand, used Gourgeist's distracted state to her advantage, finishing the Pumpkin Pokémon with a Fire Blast.

Malamar backed away as Pikachu, Delphox, and Gabite stalked towards it.

"Why do you do this to yourselves?" Ash asked, exasperated. "Why don't you just quit if your boss doesn't think you're worth it?"

"Because we need money, twerp!" Jessie growled, scrambling to her feet.

"And the stealing is the easiest way to get that money!" James added.

"Or," Brock started, "you could get a real job, like me, and make your money that way. Pokémon doctoring pays off."

"Bah!" Meowth spat. "We don't have time for that! Now, here's your last warning: hand over your Pokemon, or we'll use our secret weapon!"

"Secret weapon?" Jessie and James asked in unison. Serena raised her eyebrows, and Meowth looked furious.

"Yes, our secret weapon!" Meowth shouted, jumping up and down. "You know, the one the boss said to use only in case of emergencies?" He made a bunch of quick hand motions that said _roll with it_ , but the tag team trainers looked dumbfounded.

James blinked. "I don't remember getting a secret weapon. Did you get one, Jessie?"

"No. Why did he tell _you_ about the secret weapon and not us?"

Meowth facepalmed. "You guys are terrible."

"Y'know, you guys put up a fair fight," Ash said, stepping forward. Meowth turned to the trainer, eyes wide, and Team Rocket gulped. "But I think you know what comes next."

Pikachu smirked. This was his favorite part.

* * *

The man stared at the approaching ship. He didn't stir when two figures and their Pokémon flew towards him, landing near the forest, nor when the two recalled their Pokémon (excluding a Meowth) and scurried away. He didn't stir at all, except for when his Sandslash tugged on his arm.

"Slash?"

"Yes, I'm sure he's the one. I specifically remember this approaching ship, and those idiots attempting to fly. We'll meet him and his two companions soon."

Sandslash nodded, then returned its gaze to the ship.

Three other Pokemon were crowded around the man, each with watchful eyes. A Lucario, master of Aura; an Infernape, impatient but calm; a Raichu, surging with electricity. Two more Pokemon were still in their Poké Balls, which were strapped to the man's belt. One of the Poké Balls was the normal red and white, and it contained a newly hatched Dratini. The other ball was a little more special. It was orange and white, and had two letters engraved on it.

 _GS._

 **No, the GS Ball is not going to get an explanation next chapter. Or any chapter soon, for that matter. It is important, and it is very complex. Prepare for some cool story things eventually XD Thanks for reading!**


	4. Nightmare

**A/N: For those of you who follow the Minecraft Origins series, there's a poll on the Enderborn page on the forums. Please vote on it. If you don't follow that story, enjoy this one anyways!**

The day-long boat ride ended at seven, as the last rays of light from the setting sun faded over the horizon. Ash, Serena, Brock, and other trainers stepped off of the ship onto solid ground. The trio thanked the captain and continued into the town towards Ash's house.

The streetlights bathed the city in dim light, allowing for sight to reach forward into the darkness. Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, looked around for its previous home that was Professor Oak's lab. Its trainer, on the other hand, smiled at the numerous familiar spots that littered the town. Daisy Oak's house, the playground he used to hang around as a kid, the forested area where he first met Serena. The girl he thought of now shivered.

"Hold on."

Ash removed his jacket and held it out to Serena, who accepted it hesitantly. "Thank you, Ash, but won't you be cold?"

"Yeah, but you need it more than I do."

She smiled and put it on. Seeing as Ash was a few inches taller than Serena, the jacket was a little too big for her. Upon noticing this, Ash realized that she looked extremely cute wearing it. He glanced over at Brock, who kept his stoic expression but flashed a quick thumbs-up.

The journey wasn't long, and the trio arrived at the Ketchum residence within five minutes. Brock raised his hand in farewell, seeing as he still had to retrieve his Pokemon from the gym."Can't you just stay tonight and leave in the morning?" Ash asked.

"Nah," Brock replied. "I don't want to intrude on your privacy. I'll be back tomorrow, so it doesn't really matter anyways. See you guys." With that, he walked away, and Ash, Serena, and Pikachu waved goodbye.

Ash opened the door to his house slowly, making sure to make little noise just in case his mom was asleep. His caution was unneeded, however, as he was immediately wrapped in a hug by his mom.

"Ash Ketchum! Top two! I can't believe this!"

"Neither...can...I…" Ash wheezed. "Please...losing...air...don't...want...to...die…"

Delia released her grip on her son and beamed. "I'm so proud of you! I was rooting for you the whole time!"

Ash smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Thanks, mom."

At that moment, Delia finally noticed Serena, who was still wearing Ash's coat. She tilted her head. "Who's this?"

Ash gestured to the Pokémon Performer. "This is my friend, Serena. We met back at Professor Oak's summer camp back when we were...what, six? We met again in Kalos and have been traveling together ever since."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Ketchum," Serena said, outstretching her hand.

"Mrs., actually," Delia replied, taking Serena's hand and shaking it. "But please, call me Delia."

Serena walked inside, taking a sweep of the tidy house. Minute details, such as family photos that showed only Ash and Delia, along with signs of only a single person living in the Ketchum residence, popped up in Serena's gaze. Delia's husband was nowhere in sight. She looked back at Ash and Delia, who were still talking. Serena considered asking about it, but decided to question Ash later.

"She's going to be staying with us tonight, if that's okay with you."

Delia nodded. "Go ahead and show her to the guest room upstairs." Serena stepped inside, and Ash was about to follow her upstairs until he was stopped by his mom. A smile spread across her face. "She's wearing your coat."

Ash frowned. "So?"

"That's so cute."

Ash's cheeks burned. "We're just friends, mom."

"Mmhmm. Make sure she _stays_ in the guest room. I'm too young to be a grandmother."

Ash jumped. "Arceus, mom, no!" He walked swiftly inside, closing the door behind him. He sighed in relief after seeing that Serena hadn't heard their little exchange. "I can't believe you said that."

* * *

The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful. After bringing Serena's luggage upstairs to the guest room and showing her around the house, Ash decided to share his and Serena's adventures with Delia. She listened intently to whatever Ash had to say, and Serena popped in with some of her notes of what had transpired over the past year. After reliving their adventures, Ash and Serena decided to retire to bed, wishing Delia and each other a good night's sleep.

After finishing his normal nightly routine, Ash collapsed into bed, exhausted from his battle earlier with Team Rocket. Pikachu hopped onto the bed as well, curling up at the foot of the mattress. Ash stared up at the ceiling, trying to sort out everything that was going on, but couldn't clear his mind. Eventually, he drifted off into a restless sleep.

A muffled _thump_ jolted Ash from his dreamstate. He sat up, looking around for the source of the noise, accidentally awakening Pikachu in the process. "Chu?"

Ash's eyes rested on a strange Poké Ball that was lying on the floor. He reluctantly got out of bed and walked over to it, bending down to pick it up. He frowned at the capsule. It was orange and white, and had the letters GS imprinted above the button…

A hand appeared out of thin air, covering Ash's mouth. Pikachu jumped out of bed, about to discharge a Thunderbolt attack, but was stopped by a Mud Sport attack from a Sandslash who also seemed to appear out of nowhere. Ash and his Pikachu lay immobilized by the sudden attack.

The man holding his hand to Ash's mouth looked around. "If I remove my hand, you must not scream, or else I'll be forced to give you up to the Circle." He removed his hand.

"The _what?_ "

"Not important." The man nodded to his Sandslash, who lifted his Mud Sport attack. The man took a deep breath, then walked over to Ash's bed and sat on the edge of it. Pikachu looked to Ash for instruction, and his trainer looked cautiously to Sandslash before waving his hand in indifference.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Dravven."

"I didn't ask for your name. I want to know _who_ you are. An assassin? A friend? A foe? _Who?_ "

"You'll be happy to know that you're not in any immediate danger, at least not from me." The man scratched his chin thoughtfully. "As for who I am, I've been called many things. Draconid, Aura Guardian, Timekeeper, Thief, Knight, Hacker, Dragonborn, Jedi…"

Ash blinked.

"I'm joking. At least, about the last three adjectives."

"And, uh, why are you here, if not to kill me?"

"To help you save the world."

Ash stood up, brushing the dust off of his shirt. "What do you know?"

"A ninja scrub named Kagetomo wants to kill you and your friends and what not. There's a prophecy that states you're the Chosen One. I've come to help."

Ash nodded to Pikachu, who's cheeks glowed. "How do we know that you're not working with Kagetomo? That we can trust you?"

"Because you're an Aura Guardian as well. Remember the Tree of Beginnings? I don't believe he was around for _that_ mess. Also, why would I have the GS Ball?"

"You could've stolen it," Ash grumbled. "How can you help?"

"Meet me at the spot where you first met your girlfriend at noon tomorrow. Bring her, the Pokémon Doctor, and your strongest Pokémon. We leave for Hoenn at once."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Was I mistaken? You have traveled with many female companions." Dravven gazed into space. "Misty, May, Dawn, Iris…"

"Yeah, but I've never _dated_ any of them. Dawn is like a sister to me, Misty was too stubborn to admit her feelings, Iris and I never had any chemistry, and May…" Ash sighed. "Nothing really...happened with her."

"I see," Dravven said, brow furrowed. He stood up. "See you tomorrow." He swished his cape and disappeared in a puff of black smoke, along with Sandslash. Ash waved his hand to clear the smoke, coughing slightly. He looked at Pikachu.

"What do you think?"

The electric rodent hopped up and down, then nodded vigorously. If Pikachu trusted Dravven, that was good enough for Ash.

A sudden light rapping at the bedroom door caused Ash to jump. "Ash?" a feminine voice whispered. "Are you okay? I heard talking."

Ash opened the door to find Serena in her nightclothes, looking worried. He put on a quick smile. "I'm fine, Serena, don't worry," he answered softly. "I was just...talking to myself. Trying to sort everything out, y'know?"

"Why are you still awake? We have to be up early tomorrow to catch Professor Oak."

"I had a...nightmare," Ash replied, his mind whirling to fabricate a story. He didn't want to worry the Pokémon Performer any more than she already was.

"Oh," Serena said, expression softening. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Ash replied. "Why were _you_ up?"

"Same thing, actually. Nightmares. I was going to see if...I just went to the bathroom, that's all."

"It's Alamos Town all over again," Ash muttered, smiling a little. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's...fine. I don't want to worry you."

"I'm more worried about you not talking about it."

Serena sighed. She stepped closer to Ash, leaving less than an inch of space between them. She stared up into his brown eyes, and he returned her gaze. "I dreamed...that you-"

"Pika pi!"

Ash whirled around to find Pikachu staring out the window, frowning slightly. Ash walked towards his partner, Serena on his heels, until he reached his bedside. He followed Pikachu's gaze to find a mysterious person rushing between the houses, heading for Oak's lab.

"Should we follow him?" Serena asked.

"No," Ash mumbled. "It could just be one of Oak's aides."

"Professor aides don't wear black clothes. At least, Sycamore's don't. What if-"

Serena's train of thought was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a skull-like face in the window. The Duskull unleashed a hypnosis attack, causing Ash, Serena, and Pikachu to collapse on the bed, the former two in a somewhat questionable position. Sleep only brought more nightmares.

* * *

"Oh my Arceus, mom, I swear _nothing happened!_ "

"Mmhmm. You're lucky you were both clothed. If you weren't…"

Ash, Serena, and Delia were sitting at the table, sharing a plate of french toast. Ash and Serena were trying to convince Delia that the two of them didn't participate in any "activities" the night prior, but Delia wasn't hearing it. Pikachu was laughing his ass off.

"I swear," Serena muttered as soon as her, Ash, and Pikachu left the Ketchum residence. "When I find that Duskull, I'm going to strangle it."

"I'm not sure if that's humanly possible."

"I'll find a way."

The trio stopped in front of the doors to Oak's lab, waiting for Brock to show up. Sure enough, the Pokémon Doctor appeared on the horizon a few minutes later, carrying a traveling backpack and four Poké Balls. He greeted them with a friendly smile.

"What are we waiting for?"

The group stepped inside the lab and immediately noticed that something was wrong. Chairs were overturned, computers were smashed in, and papers were scattered across the floor. The normally-clean floors were covered in dirt and blood, although there were no bodies in sight. Ash gulped.

"Professor Oak?"

There was no response.

"What could've done this?" Serena asked, hands over her mouth in shock.

Brock, who had already receded further into the facility, called out. "I think I know."

Ash, Serena, and Pikachu followed the sound of Brock's voice to find him standing in the Pokémon distribution room, where Ash and Pikachu had first met. Taped to the wall was a note, its words written in deep black ink. Ash took it off of the wall and read aloud:

" _You'll never see me coming._ "

 **And thus ends chapter 3. More of Dravven next chapter, along with the formal introduction of the villainous team. Chapter 4 should be out once I finish my next song (I make techno as a hobby), and then I'll decide whether to rewrite the Minecraft Origins series, so please vote on the poll. Until next time!**


	5. A Shady Encounter

**Special thanks to my beta reader, Subject 666. Go check out his story, "Adventures in the Crimson Isles." Enjoy!**

"Kagetomo," Serena growled. "I knew he was behind this."

"We should waste no time," Brock warned. He looked to Ash. "Let's get your Pokémon and be on our way."

"That is, if Kagetomo didn't kidnap them, too…" the trainer muttered. He looked out the window to the corral where his Pokémon normally were, and sure enough, they weren't there. He sighed, realizing that he had made the stupid mistake of sending his Kalos Pokémon to the corral beforehand. "I guess it's just us then, Pikachu."

The electric mouse, however, wasn't listening. Pikachu was busy inspecting a pile of five Poké Balls sitting on a desk. Ash ran over to his partner and picked up the note that lay beside the capsules.

 _I think you'll need these…signed, your lord and savior Dravven ;)_

Ash tossed the Poké Balls into the air, and five Pokémon appeared in a flash of white light. Ash smiled, while Serena gasped and Brock raised his eyebrows. Charizard, Swellow, Torterra, Krookodile, and Greninja stood ready for battle, and Pikachu joined them, smiling happily.

"Who's Dravven?" Serena asked, leaning over and scanning the note.

"A…" Ash tried to think of the right word, but he couldn't come up with anything. "Friend?"

"I don't remember anyone named 'Dravven,'" Brock noted, scratching his chin. "But if he can help us, then we should try to meet up with him soon."

"And that's what we're going to do."

* * *

Serena gazed at the world around her, smiling. This is where they had first met.

The sunlight filtered in through gaps in the leaves in the canopy above. Some of those gaps had been created by older leaves, which now littered the forest floor. The forest was full of life. Caterpie, Weedle, and their evolutions inhabited the area, along with the occasional Pidgey or Rattata. Serena smiled when she spotted a Poliwag, remembering her first meeting with the trainer that walked beside her…

Serena remembered the day from almost eight years ago perfectly, and she had been kind of bummed when Ash didn't remember her at all. It didn't bother her as much now, seeing as their friendship had definitely grown stronger over the last year or so. Serena hoped that, someday soon, that friendship could become more…

The honey-blonde performer jumped at the sound of a machine starting up. Brock frowned, and Ash stopped in his tracks, listening intently. He was about to open his mouth to say something when a plethora of different Pokémon dropped to the ground, the life sucked out of them.

Serena bent down and examined a fallen Pidgey. The creature wasn't breathing. "You don't think it's…"

Suddenly, two trainers, both dressed in midnight blue, stepped out of a cluster of bushes nearby. One was male, and wore jeans, a torn jacket, and a t-shirt with a large purple _S_ embroidered on it, along with a pair of sunglasses. The other was female, and wore a flowing dress with a necklace that shared the _S_ symbol. Her eyes were purple.

The male was the first to speak, upon noticing the three trainers and their shocked expressions. "Oi, who're you to be walking in our forest? No one's supposed to know about this!"

"When are you going to lose that stupid accent?" the girl asked, rolling her eyes. "Let's just kill them already."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's slow down there," the male responded, speaking normally. "It'd be rude not to introduce ourselves."

"'Kill us?'" Ash asked. "Yeah, I think you better introduce yourselves before Charizard goes full psycho on your asses."

"He claims to have a Charizard," the woman said, amused. "Do you think this is the one Kagetomo was talking about?"

"An idiot with a Pikachu, the guy who looks like he's sleepwalking, and the girl with honey-blonde hair, a shy look about her, and a _killer_ -"

"Excuse me?!" Serena asked, offended. She put her hand on her belt, grasping the Poké Ball that held Delphox. "I don't think you want to finish that sentence."

"Allow me," Ash growled. He plucked his own Poké Ball off of his belt and released Charizard. The two strangers raised their eyebrows in surprise. Ash smirked. "What, did you think I was joking?"

"How _dare_ you threaten Team Shade!" the woman huffed. She unclenched her fist, revealing a Dusk Ball, then released her own Pokémon: Mismagius.

"Time to play dirty," the man continued, smirking. He tossed his own Dusk Ball into the air, revealing a Mightyena. "Use Dark Pulse on Charizard!"

Upon seeing the Pokémon that the two grunts had selected, Serena decided that Delphox wouldn't be the best option for this battle. She tossed out a normal Poké Ball to reveal a Floette, which, being a Fairy type, could deal some massive damage on Mightyena. Ash noticed Serena's choice and decided to pit his Charizard against the Mismagius.

"Dodge Mightyena's attack and go for Mismagius!"

Charizard obliged, flawlessly avoiding the dark energy flung at him. Then, without an order from his trainer, the dragon used his momentum to launch a Flame Charge attack at Mismagius. Unfortunately, the Ghost type blocked the attack with Protect.

Meanwhile, Mightyena was attempting to hold its own against Serena's Floette. The Single Bloom Pokémon was sending attack after attack at the beast, who could do nothing but dodge. Eventually Mightyena tripped up, allowing Floette to finish the battle with a Moonblast attack. The grunt recalled his Pokémon helplessly and looked to his partner.

"Shadow Ball!" Mismagius' trainer shouted.

"Counter with Flamethrower!"

Charizard obliged, sending forth a steady stream of fire from its mouth. The two attacks collided, resulting in an explosion of dust.

Team Shade decided that continuing to fight wouldn't be in anyone's best interests, seeing as it was three on one. The woman recalled her Mismagius.

"This is an unfair advantage!"

"You started the fight," Brock noted.

"L-look," the male grunt shuddered, "w-we'll tell you what you want to know, just let us go!"

Ash recalled his Charizard, and Serena did the same with her Floette. "What did you do to the Pokémon?" Ash demanded.

"Simple," the female grunt replied. She was a lot calmer than her partner. "We drained them of their Aura, their life force."

"Why?"

"That isn't your concern." The woman smirked. She tapped the _S_ on her necklace. " _Now_ can we kill them, master?"

"Yes, my dear," a strange voice responded. A man wearing all black with a shock of white hair materialized into existence. He held up a Master Ball, pressed the central button, and released an Unbound Hoopa, surprising Ash, Serena, Brock, and Pikachu. "Kill them all."

The Hoopa launched a Hyper Beam attack at the quartet. Pikachu discharged a Thunderbolt at the approaching beam, but the attack disintegrated on impact. Brock braced himself, and Serena wrapped her arms around Ash in fear. The boy held her close.

"CHU!"

Everyone looked at Pikachu, but it wasn't Ash's Pokémon who had shouted. An orange blur appeared on the battlefield, blasting the Hoopa's attack out of existence and sending the Djinn Pokémon flying. The Raichu glared at the two Team Shade grunts, who were clutching each other in terror. The ninja who had released the Hoopa was nowhere to be found.

"We should run," the female grunt noted.

"Yeah…"

Without warning, the two trainers sprinted towards Hoopa, who had opened a wormhole. They hopped in it and Hoopa followed, closing the portal.

Serena sighed in relief, still holding on to Ash. She laughed. "We...we made it."

"Yeah," Ash replied, smiling. "We did."

Brock, Pikachu, and Raichu all raised their eyebrows at the two, but they didn't seem to notice. Serena let go of Ash and stared into the trainer's eyes. The distance between their lips became shorter and shorter…

"Arceus be damned! A Hoopa! You've got to be joking!"

Ash and Serena jumped as Dravven the Draconid approached from deeper within the forest, looking pissed. The Raichu ran up to him and hopped on his shoulder. "If _that's_ what they're using the Aura for, I swear…"

"Dravven!" Ash exclaimed. "Was that _your_ Raichu?"

"You can thank us later," Dravven replied, waving his hand. "For now, we should probably heal these Pokémon…"

Dravven bent down, examining a Butterfree. He hummed a song that sounded vaguely familiar to Ash, then stood up. The world around them sprang to life as Pokémon seemingly came back from the dead. The Aura Guardian stood up, admiring his handiwork.

Ash was in shock. "How did you do that?"

"Magic," Dravven replied. "It's an Aura Guardian thing. I'm sure you'll learn it soon enough. After all, we're headed to the place where Aura was discovered, and mastered, next. Are you all ready?"

"Let's slow down for a second," Brock interrupted. "Who are you? Who were the people with the Hoopa? How did you bring all of these Pokémon back from the grave?"

Dravven extended his hand. "Dravven the Draconid, probably not at your service. The scrubs you just battled are part of Team Shade, Kagetomo's team of villainous allies. As for your third question, they weren't dead. Without Aura, they had lost the will to live. You were with Ash during his travels in Hoenn, correct?"

Brock nodded.

"Do you remember the Tree of Beginnings?"

"So you're telling me," Brock said disbelievingly, "that you're an Aura Guardian? Like, those people who are always friends with a Lucario and protect the world or whatever?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Now, are there any more questions? I want to get going before the police notice all the weird crap going on."

"Yes, I have more questions. Like-"

"Ask them later," Serena interrupted, impatient. "I want to see this 'Tree of Beginnings' place."

"We have one stop to make first," Dravven said. He nodded to Ash and Brock. "It's high time you and May had a reunion."

 **Well, a grand total of zero people voted on the poll. That means that I'm rewriting the Minecraft Origins series. The first chapter of Forever Flames should be up on here after the next chapter of this story goes up, and then I'll alternate chapters. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Evolve

**One thing that should be noted about this story is that it won't only revolve around Ash and his companions. This chapter, for example, doesn't even feature Ash at all. Enjoy anyways!**

 **Oh yeah, character ages: Dravven is 17, Alain is 17, and Mairin is 15.**

Alain hated himself.

Lysandre had lied to him. His "peaceful purposes" turned out to be a hoax, and Team Flare was yet another terrorist organization who wanted to rule the world. He had unknowingly hurt many people, and this was the price he had to pay.

Exile.

On the bright side, his Charizard was stronger than ever, even without using Mega Evolution. Alain's other Pokémon had also grown, but Alain's strongest bond was still with Charizard. The two were inseparable at this point.

Other than Alain and his Pokémon, not many sentient beings lived on the island. It was a peaceful place, with colorful foliage and beautiful scenery. The quiet helped Alain meditate without interruption, allowing him to wash away his worries under a waterfall that dotted the landscape. He had mimicked the practice from a Mewtwo, with whom he shared the island with.

Mewtwo, it seemed, had lived on the island for a long time. It kept to itself mostly, only emerging from its cave to pick berries or, as Alain had noticed, to mediate. Alain had attempted to communicate with Mewtwo once, to which it had turned its head and spoke telepathically: " _Those who listen to the quiet are more attuned to this world._ "

On this day, it seemed, one who was not attuned to the world was approaching over the horizon on the back of Lapras.

Alain stood up quickly, running to the shore of the island as the Transport Pokémon and the girl riding him approached. Mewtwo glanced over at the man, then straightened itself and resumed meditating. Alain crossed his arms, annoyed by the girl's arrival. It wasn't that he didn't like her; in fact, he cared about her quite a bit. But he knew why she had come, and his response would be one that he knew she wouldn't accept.

The Lapras stopped a few meters from shore, the girl on his back staring at Alain. The two locked eyes for a few seconds, then the girl flung herself off of Lapras and into the water. She swam to shore, and, upon reaching it, sprinted towards Charizard's trainer, flinging her arms around him and bursting into tears.

"Don't you _ever_ leave me again!" Her speech was mixed with sobs and sniffs.

"You know that's a promise I can't make, Mairin." Nevertheless, Alain returned her hug.

Mairin pulled away. "Why? Why did you leave?"

"I hurt too many people. I hurt...you."

"You hurt me more by abandoning me."

Alain sighed. "It was for your own good." When Mairin didn't offer up a response, he continued. "How did you find us?"

Mairin sniffed once more. "Chespie remembered your scent. Chespin tend to have a strong sense of smell."

"Ah." Alain looked past the girl, setting his eyes on the Lapras. "When did you catch a Lapras?"

"About two hours ago." Alain looked back to Mairin, whose eyes were pleading. "When are you coming back?"

"I don't know, Mairin. But...why did you come here? The ocean is dangerous, and I wouldn't be able to bear it if-"

"I had to see you, Alain. I had to know if you were okay. I missed you." Mairin blinked back more tears, then set her gaze on Mewtwo. The Genetic Pokémon had finished meditating and was returning to its cave. "What is that?!"

Mewtwo glanced over at the two, thought about saying something, then continued its trek towards the caves.

"Mewtwo. It was here long before me." Alain scratched his chin. "I've thought about asking where it came from, but I'm pretty sure it's antisocial."

" _I have my reasons for not conversing with your kind, human_ , the Mewtwo spoke. _And trust me when I tell you, they aren't very pleasant._ "

"Where do you come from?" Mairin asked.

"It comes from a place called Cinnabar Island."

Alain and Mairin turned to find a strange fellow reclining in the shade of a nearby palm tree. He wore a black jacket over a midnight blue shirt, the latter of which showcased a large, purple _S_. His jeans were ripped in a couple of places, and he wore sunglasses as to conceal his identity. He smirked at the trio.

"Who are you, and how did you find this island?" Alain demanded, his tone accusatory.

" _I sense his intentions are misplaced_ ," Mewtwo noted, its hands burning with blue energy.

"Now, now, we're all friends here!" the man started, striding forward. He stopped and outstretched his hand. "I'm Keith. I found this island because I was tracking _that_." Keith pointed to Mewtwo, who didn't move.

It was clear that Alain had no intention of shaking Keith's hand, so the latter awkwardly swung it back to his side.

"Why are you tracking Mewtwo?" Mairin asked, suspicious.

"Simple, really," Keith continued. "Boss man would pay quite a bit for a Pokémon like that. Now!"

A Mismagius shimmered into existence and launched a Shadow Ball at Mewtwo, who managed to evade in the nick of time. A split second afterwards, a Mightyena hopped out of the bushes, clamping its jaws around Mewtwo, who howled in pain. Retaliating, Mewtwo finished charging his Aura Sphere and slammed it onto the Mightyena, who fainted instantly.

While this was happening, another person, who wore a dark blue dress and a necklace that shared the purple _S_ symbol, strode to Keith's side. Her eyes latched greedily onto Mewtwo, and she barked, "Mismagius, Double Team!"

The Magical Pokémon obliged, creating fake copies of itself and spreading them across the battlefield. Mewtwo was about to attack whom it deemed was the true Mismagius, but it was too late. It fell to the ground, the impact of multiple Shadow Balls too much for it to bear.

"And I save your ass once again, Keith," the new arrival said, rolling her eyes.

"I had it under control," Keith replied somewhat hesitantly. "Plus, you could've showed up sooner…"

"Enough!" Alain shouted, startling the two grunts. Mairin, on the other hand, had run to Mewtwo's side. "Now then, I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just come to this island and attack an innocent Pokémon!"

"Innocent?" The girl laughed. "That Mewtwo has killed more times than you could imagine. It protects its kind, and by that it means that nothing can stand in its way. It killed the scientists that created it, without mercy!"

"It caused me no harm."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Kiara?"

"Yes?" the female grunt replied.

"Can we kill them yet?"

"Oh, yes." Kiara cracked her knuckles. "Yes indeed."

Before either of them could follow through on their threat, an object blocked the sun, casting a shadow over the island. Alain looked up to see a Meowth-headed hot air balloon descending from the sky. Two people and a Pokémon hopped out, ready for battle.

"Please no," Mairin whimpered.

"Prepare for trouble, you Team Rocket rejects!"

"And make it-"

"Never mind," Kiara growled. "Let's kill these failures first."

Alain frowned. He had only met Jessie, James, and Meowth on one occasion, and they appeared to be good people with bad ideals. Another thing he noted was that they weren't attacking him or Mairin, and instead were going after Kiara and Keith. Was it possible that they knew something about Mewtwo that no one else did?

Mismagius shimmered into existence in front of Kiara, while Jessie and James released a Gourgeist and a Malamar, respectively. All eyes looked to Keith, expectant, but he shuddered. "Mightyena is my only Pokémon."

"Why did I have to get partnered with you?" Kiara rolled her eyes. "Go to Mewtwo and use the Injector."

Keith nodded, then ran towards where Mewtwo had fallen. Alain and Mairin gave pursuit, while Team Rocket stayed behind to take care of Kiara. Reaching Mewtwo's side, Keith pulled out a strange device that looked like a medicine syringe filled with crimson liquid. Grimacing, he plunged the needle into Mewtwo's chest, and the Pokémon howled in pain. Alain held Mairin back as the Genetic Pokémon rose to its feet.

Keith smirked. "Now would be a good time to show us that Charizard of yours."

Alain pulled a Poké Ball from his belt and flung it onto the battlefield. A Charizard wearing a collar embedded with a Charizardite X warped into existence, and, using his Mega Ring, Alain engulfed his Pokémon in a flash of brilliant violet light. When the dust settled, a menacing black dragon stood tall, blue flames erupting from its jaws. Mewtwo got to its feet and faced the Flame Pokémon, its eyes glowing red.

"What did you do to it?" Mairin asked Keith, stammering.

"Simple. I changed its Aura or its life force, which in turn altered its intentions and its drive. Now it works for Team Shade."

"I'll defeat it either way," Alain growled. "Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

"Do what you do best, Mewtwo, because I have no clue what moves you can use!"

Mewtwo made no indication that it had heard Keith and let loose a Hyper Beam attack, which tore through the Flamethrower and slammed into Charizard. The dragon type was pushed backwards, but stood its ground nevertheless. Then, taking flight, Charizard surged towards Mewtwo with a Dragon Rush attack at Alain's command. Mewtwo raised its hands, preparing for a Counter attack, then grabbed Charizard's head and slammed it to the ground. Afterwards, jumping into the air, Mewtwo charged and launched an Aura Sphere at its fallen opponent, who rolled out of the way in the nick of time.

Recovering quickly, Charizard unleashed a Dragon Claw without needing to listen to Alain's command. Even though the move landed as a critical hit, it did little damage. Pushing the Flame Pokémon back, Mewtwo put its hands to its temples, flinging Charizard into the air with Psychic. Then, while the dragon struggled to recover, Mewtwo shot stars of pure energy towards it. Seeing the Swift attack, Charizard combined its Dragon Claw and Dragon Rush attacks (Alain smiled; he had taught his Pokémon that combination recently), then shot forward and sliced through the glowing stars. This time, Dragon Rush connected and sent Mewtwo flying. The Genetic Pokémon still managed to land on its feet, but it was definitely weakened by Charizard's attack. Alain's Pokémon stood at the ready.

"Charizard, Blast Burn, now!"

Charizard jumped forward, slamming his fist into the ground as Mewtwo charged up another Aura Sphere. Blue bolts of fiery energy erupted from the ground and launched towards Mewtwo. Upon reaching max power, Mew's clone launched its Aura Sphere, and the two attacks collided, creating an explosion. Not waiting to see whether Mewtwo was still up, Alain's Pokémon jumped through the smoke and unleashed a flurry of Dragon Claw attacks. Mewtwo, however, _had_ survived, and was expecting an attack. It Countered, threw Charizard back, then let loose a Hyper Beam. Charizard took the attack head-on and fell to the ground, unable to battle.

"To hold your own against a Legendary Pokémon, especially one as powerful as Mewtwo," Keith clicked his tongue. "Sadly, your Charizard was no match for the power of Team Shade."

Kiara entered the clearing, out of breath. "Maybe we were wrong not to invite those Team Rocket guys," she panted. "They can really put up a fight."

"Shadow!" Keith called. "Can you and your Hoopa get us out of here yet? Mewtwo can't take much more battling!" In response to his call, a swirling mass of dark energy surrounded by a yellow ring appeared. Kiara, Keith, and Mewtwo hopped into the wormhole, and it closed behind them before Alain or Mairin could give chase.

Sighing, Alain recalled his Charizard. Jessie, James, and Meowth soon entered the clearing, all huffing and puffing. James glanced around. "Did they escape? Did they get Mewtwo?"

"FOOLS!" Jessie shouted into thin air. "YOU WILL REGRET NOT INVITING TEAM ROCKET INTO YOUR GANG! YOU _WILL_ REGRET IT!"

"That's nice," Meowth noted.

"In response to your questions, James, yes and yes." Alain frowned. "You guys mind telling us what's going on?"

"Our boss is the one who oversaw the creation of Mewtwo," James explained. "There's this new group of villains...called 'Team Shade,' terrible name...whose goal is to build an army of Legendary Pokémon in order to rule the world. I guess Mewtwo was on their list."

"How did Mewtwo get here in the first place?" Mairin asked.

"Long story, involving two twerps, a twerpette, a Pikachu, a Mew, and an army of clones," Meowth replied, waving his hand.

"A Pikachu…" Alain noted. He shook his head. "And you guys are fighting this 'Team Shade' because they didn't invite you to join?"

"Exactly," Jessie said, flipping her hair. "All of the other big gangs got invited. Team Plasma, Team Galactic, Team Flare..."

Alain clenched his fists at the last group Jessie mentioned. "You mind if I help you guys out? Anything to get back at Lysandre…"

"Sure," James said. He turned to his comrades. "We should go report to the boss. He could probably give us and the new twerps some help."

As Team Rocket headed back to the beach, Mairin stood in front of Alain. She put her hands on her hips. "This isn't about what I think it's about, is it?"

"You know it is."

* * *

"I don't like this…" Keith stammered. "Boss man can be so...intimidating."

"I actually agree with you on this one," Kiara muttered back. "But he gave us this job, we have to report it."

Keith sighed, then knocked three times on the cherry wood door, making sure not to touch the Haxorus mask that was hanging on it.. After a second, the door creaked open, and Heidayū, Kagetomo's former partner-turned butler, poked his head into the hallway. Upon seeing the two grunts, he opened the door wider and gestured for the two to enter, which they did.

"Leave us, Heidayū," came a voice from the other side of the room. Heidayū nodded quickly and exited.

The room was dimly lit, and mostly barren. On the far side of the room, a dome-shaped, frost-covered window took the place of a wall and allowed for a view of the blizzard that was transpiring outside. A desk, made of the same material as the door, sat in front of the window. Behind this desk sat a man.

Kagetomo had messy black hair and a goatee. A frown lined his face, and his hands, which were folded on top of the desk, were covered in scars. He wore an outfit reminiscent of the time he was a part of the Ninja Village. He raised his eyebrows as Kiara and Keith stood awkwardly.

"Well?"

"We managed to capture Mewtwo...sir," Kiara started.

"We had some resistance from Team Rocket and two other trainers, but they weren't much of a problem," Keith added.

"Good," Kagetomo smiled sinisterly. He swiveled around in his chair, staring out the window. "You shall be rewarded." Kagetomo closed his eyes. "Have I ever told you that I hate snow?"

"No...sir," Keith replied nervously.

"I do. I hate it with a passion." Kagetomo opened his eyes. "Tell Archie and Maxie that it's time for a change in forecast."

 **You may have noticed that I uploaded another story to this site a couple of days ago, and that it's gone now. The prologue of Minecraft Origins: Forever Flames was completely unsatisfactory in my opinion, and so that story might not be up until the next chapter of this is finished and uploaded. Anyways, thanks again to my beta reader, Subject666, and thank you for reading!**

 **Also, I've decided that there will be a sequel to this story in the form of Pokémon Orange and Purple. This story will not include Pokémon from Sun and Moon, however, the sequel will. I'm equally excited to be writing that story as I am to be writing this one, so stay tuned!**


	7. Uninvited Guests

**Well, it's out, finally. Enjoy! More ages: May is fifteen (about a year younger than Ash and Serena), and Max is thirteen (which means he's old enough to have a Pokémon; the age limit is still ten, like in the anime).**

Ash did not like where this was going.

The wannabe Pokémon Master glared at Dravven, who still hadn't given anyone a proper reason as to why they were going to Hoenn and meeting up with May Maple. In fact, Dravven hadn't said much at all since their departure from Pallet Town. The Aura Guardian just sat at the helm of the yacht that he had stolen (he had claimed that it was his, but letters on the side that spelled out "Golden Oak" said otherwise), whistling a strange tune and looking very pleased with himself.

Brock just didn't trust the guy. Dravven seemed like one of those sarcastic, cocky-type people you'd see on TV. Brock swore that, as soon as the Aura Guardian started performing rituals to ward off evil spirits, he was going overboard.

Serena, on the other hand, liked Dravven. To her, he was one of those mysterious people with a dark past, and she found that mildly attractive. However, the Draconid was too old for her, and she was still in love with Ash, and so that was that.

And Pikachu? Pikachu just wanted to shock the living crap out of him.

"So, are you going to explain _why_ we're going to Hoenn to meet up with May and go to the Tree of Beginnings?" Ash asked.

"Nah, I think it would be better if the other explained it," Dravven replied, sipping from a bottle of cider that seemed to have appeared out of thin air. "Plus, I don't want to have to relay the story to May as well. Better if we're all there."

"Who's 'the other?'" Serena asked.

"Friend of mine." He gestured to Ash, Pikachu and Brock. "You've met before."

Ash rolled his eyes. "When are you going to stop speaking in cryptic messages?"

"When the Distortion World freezes over. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep. It's been a long day." And with that, Dravven closed his eyes, and blocked out any other questions that Ash, Serena, or Brock threw at him.

Serena tugged on Ash's arm. "We should go below decks and see if there's anything fun to do on here. After all, we might as well enjoy ourselves before we go save the world."

Ash grinned. "Okay, sure!" Serena started heading downstairs, and Ash was about to follow, but he was stopped by Brock. The Pokémon Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"Dude, when are you going to make your move?"

"I have a plan. I'll ask her soon, don't worry. Now, I'm going to go have some fun for a bit. Feel free to join us if you want!"

As Ash headed down the stairs, Brock smirked, then called softly (making sure that Serena couldn't hear), "No canoodling!"

Ash turned and pouted. "Mild canoodling?"

* * *

Prior to what he had told everyone else, Dravven wasn't sleeping.

Having reached the end of his Aura Guardian training, Dravven had discovered the power of multicommunication, allowing him to contact his fellow Guardians from any point in time and space, without affecting either of the dimensional infrastructures. He glanced around at the assembled Guardians, most of whom retained their dream-state (a state in which their dream-forms were as statues without sight or other senses) due to not being called directly. Two, however, stared at their comrade in worry.

The area didn't exist, technically. It was created by Arceus as a meeting hall of sorts, so that the Aura Guardians could relay plans to each other without revealing them to the general public during a time of great disturbance. A circular table occupied most of the area, with chairs of all different shapes and sizes surrounding the circumference. Two chairs were currently unoccupied, due to their owners preferring a standing position in their current situation. Dravven cleared his throat.

"Lord Maple, Lord Yvonne, how are you two?"

"Is the Ketchum boy okay? Has _he_ reached him yet?" Lord Maple asked.

"Nah, I'm doing my job correctly. You don't have to worry."

"It's the fact that _you're_ doing the job that worries me," Lord Yvonne replied through gritted teeth.

"C'mon, guys!" Dravven said, reclining in his chair, one leg crossed over the other. "When have I ever screwed up?"

The two Guardians frowned at Dravven. The latter sighed.

"If you two are going to be like this, what's the point of me even updating you on his status? He's fine, and he'll stay that way."

"Whatever you say," Lord Yvonne sighed, rolling his eyes. "If you need anything, let us know."

"Yeah, pick me up some frozen burritos for when I get back."

"Arceus, why."

* * *

It was a hot and humid day in Petalburg City, Hoenn. Wingull and Taillow soared through the air without a care in the world, or resided underneath trees in order to escape the searing heat that the sun was radiating. Other Pokémon, including Zigzagoon and Poochyena, followed suit, or waded through the cool pond that cut through town alongside Wooper and Magikarp. All in all, the weather was beautiful.

A perfect day to reunite with some childhood friends.

May Maple stared into the mirror, attempting to tie her red bandanna over her damp hair. She had just finished showering and was now dressing; she wore no makeup, and didn't plan on applying any. She was well known in multiple regions for being naturally pretty.

May looked down at the counter as her phone buzzed. Another new text from Drew. She had rejected his advances on multiple occasions, but he still refused to give up. Sighing and quickly typing a response, May exited the bathroom and headed downstairs.

The smell of pancakes and bacon quickly invaded May's senses, causing her stomach to growl. She entered the kitchen to find her mother, Caroline, finishing preparing breakfast. Caroline glanced over as May entered and smiled. "Hey, honey, any plans today?"

"Nah, I think I'm just gonna hang out here," May replied, taking a plate out of the cupboard and loading it with food. "I might be leaving again sometime soon, though. I've heard about these 'Pokémon Showcases' in Kalos, and I might want to give them a try. They sound like a lot of fun."

"Okay, just make sure to give your father or I a bit of warning before you head out."

"Will do."

May exited the kitchen and headed towards the living room. Placing her plate on the glass coffee table and plopping down on one of the couches, May grabbed a remote and flipped on the television. Before she could change the channel, a news report caught her eye. May set the remote down and frowned.

"-to find the lab of the well-known Pokémon Professor, Samuel Oak, completely vacant," the reporter was saying. "Three suspects and a Pikachu were seen leaving the lab just moments before Oak was reported missing. If anyone hears word from Ash Ketchum, Brock Harrison, or Serena Yvonne, it is advised that they contact the International Police immediately. Now to our weather report with Simon Castform, tell us how it is."

"May, honey, I'll be upstairs if you need me!" May gave a slight nod; however, she had stopped listening to anything and everything after hearing Ash's name mentioned. She hadn't seen the trainer since she was twelve, back when he was competing in the Sinnoh League. Back then, she had had a crush on him, but she was sure it had dissolved by now.

She was dead wrong.

The doorbell rang, startling May out of her thought process. The Pokémon Coordinator got to her feet, adjusted her bandanna, and walked to the door. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves from the revelation that Ash was a possible criminal, then opened the door…

And fell in love all over again.

"Hey, May," Ash said nervously. "Long time no see?"

An expression of rage quickly spread across May's face. She launched herself at Ash, pummeling him multiple times while Ash did everything he could to protect himself. "YOU DISAPPEAR FOR THREE YEARS, NEVER TRYING TO CONTACT ME AT ALL, AND NOW YOU SHOW UP WITH A BUNCH OF PEOPLE I DON'T KNOW-"

"What am I, a Trubbish?" Brock said, frowning.

"AND NOW, I TURN ON THE TV, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE INTERNATIONAL POLICE HAVE LABELED YOU AS A CRIMINAL! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"

"Let's calm down here," one of the new arrivals sighed, pulling May off of Ash. "Also, criminals?"

May turned to the man, who looked to be in his early twenties and wore a costume not unlike Sir Aaron the Aura Guardian, angrily. "And who the hell are you?"

"Doesn't matter," he replied, striding into the house uninvited and sitting on the couch. He grabbed a piece of bacon, then continued, "So, you want an explanation or not?"

May sighed, then took a step back. "Might as well come in, if your _friend_ is so eager." She blinked as Ash (with Pikachu) walked in, smiled at Brock, and frowned at the honey-blonde. May sat in an armchair to the right of the couch, which was now occupied by the new arrivals. "So, you mind telling me what's going on?" She stared at Ash.

"Basically, I'm being hunted by an evil organization known as 'Team Shade.' Their leader is this ninja guy from Kalos known as Kagetomo, and he plans on uniting all of the villainous team leaders or something like that. Dravven here," he gestured to the Aura Guardian-looking guy, "says that we need your help."

"That we do," Dravven said, standing up. "We should probably get going. If the police are after us-"

"By the way, why is that?" the honey-blonde interrupted.

May scowled at her. She had picked the spot next to Ash, and there was less than an inch in between the two. May forced herself a polite smile. "Who are you?"

"I'm Serena. I traveled with Ash through Kalos, and I've known him since we were kids. I'm a Pokémon Performer."

May's expression softened a little. "Not much of an interest in battling? I'm a Coordinator."

"You guys can talk later," Dravven interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Now, are you going to explain why the world thinks we're criminals?"

"You guys heard that Professor Oak is missing, right?"

There were scattered "yes's," "yeahs," and head nods throughout the room.

May sighed. "Well, apparently you four were the last people seen exiting his lab. They think you might have something to do with his disappearance." She glanced around at the people in the room, all of whom were staring at her like she was a shiny Pokémon. "Well?"

"You know us, May," Brock said. "Well, half of us, anyways. Why would we kidnap the Professor?"

"It probably has something to do with Team Shade," Dravven murmured. "We have to get out of here."

"Shouldn't we find a way to clear our names first?" Serena asked.

"No," Dravven said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "If Kagetomo is planning what I think he's planning, then there could be more at play than I previously thought. Right now, our primary objective is to get to the Tree of Beginnings. After that, we need to find and capture as many Legendary Pokémon as possible."

"Wait, Legendary Pokémon?" May asked. "You mean, like, Groudon and Kyogre and them?"

Dravven nodded. "Since we're in Hoenn, we might as well start with trying to catch them."

"Catch them?" Ash asked, disbelief evident on his face. "And how do you expect us to do that?"

"It seems that your goal of becoming a Pokémon Master is more important than ever, Ash," Dravven replied. "While our task might be easier with a couple of Master Balls, we seem to be short on those."

An awkward silence spread throughout the room. Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder and scuttled over to May, curling up in her lap. After a bit, Brock clapped his hands.

"Well, let's get to it, shall we?"

* * *

"Gogoat, return."

The Mount Pokémon disappeared in a flash of brilliant white light. Ramos cracked a smile at the thirteen-year-old boy and his Kirlia. He nodded to the referee, who approached the two with a shiny, miniscule object in the shape of a gold and green leaf. "Max Maple, through your hard work and dedication, you have earned this Plant Badge."

The boy adjusted his glasses and took the badge, smiling back at the Gym Leader. "Thanks for teaching us."

"My dear boy, I taught you nothing you already knew!"

Max frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We all have the power to do great things inside of us. It takes a strong bond, like the ones you are forging with your Pokémon, to unlock that power."

Max cracked a grin. "Good to know. I'll keep that in mind while I train for the next few gyms."

"Oh, yes," Ramos said. "You should challenge the Lumiose Gym next. I hear the leader, Clemont, recently finished traveling Kalos, and even helped stop Team Flare from using their 'Ultimate Weapon.' He'd be happy to battle you."

Max nodded. "Thanks for the recommendation." He turned to Kirlia. "Next stop, Lumiose City."

 **Things are going to pick up in the next few chapters. I'll try to get those out as soon as possible, as well as Chapter Two of Origins, but, once again, I'm very busy. Thanks for reading, and please review!**


	8. The Tree of Life

**Seeing as this story can basically be classified as an "alternate reality," I think it's okay for me to make the mistake of thinking that the Tree of Beginnings was in Hoenn (I realized it was in Kanto because of Subject666's fic, "Adventures in the Crimson Isles," which is a great story, by the way, check it out when you have the time). Well, it's there now, along with Cameron Palace and all that jazz, northeast of Petalburg. Sorry about that :P**

 **Also, regarding alternate realities, Pokemon Orange and Purple (the sequel to this story) will basically be an alternate to the Pokemon Sun and Moon games/anime. I'm debating whether I myself will introduce new Pokemon; since the sequel won't be released for quite a while, I have a bit of time to sort all of that out. Stay tuned.**

Ash was starting to question Dravven's legitimacy.

The Draconid reclined in the front seat of the stolen red Mazda (he had once again claimed ownership), seemingly asleep. Brock gripped the steering wheel tightly, obviously annoyed with Dravven's carefree behavior. Ash sat in the middle of the backseat of the van, Serena and May to the left and right of him. Pikachu was perched on top of Ash's head, staring out the window, watching as the countryside transformed into forest.

Once again, the GPS on Brock's phone shut off. Muttering a curse, Brock tossed it back to Ash to fix. The trainer rolled his eyes. "You know, this wouldn't be happening if you had an Android. Apple sucks."

"Android swallows," Brock retorted. Suddenly, the Pokémon Doctor slammed on his brakes, causing Ash, Serena, and May to lurch forward while simultaneously jolting Dravven awake. Pikachu tumbled from his perch on Ash's head into the teen's lap.

"What the-" May started.

"Why are we stopping?" Serena asked.

"Give me some warning next time you attempt to cause me brain damage," Dravven said. The Aura Guardian stared out the front window, noticing the issue. He exited the car, soon followed by Brock. Ash frowned.

"What's going…"

Leaning forward, Ash caught a glimpse of a Pokémon lying on the ground. It was a Stantler, a dead one. Ash gulped, and gestured for May to let him out.

Brock was already in the process of determining the cause of death, while Dravven had released his Raichu to help him search the surrounding area. Ash, Serena, and May stared down at the corpse, a mixture of worry, shock, and sickness evident on their faces. Serena gasped. "Who would kill such an innocent creature?"

"I think I know who," Dravven murmured. "The Tree of Beginnings isn't far ahead. We go on foot from here."

"There's nothing I can do for this Stantler anyways," Brock sighed, standing up. "Let's get moving."

As the quintet walked, Ash began noticing things from his previous trip to the Tree of Beginnings, in which he needed to reunite with Pikachu after the Mouse Pokémon was taken by Mew. After a while, he noticed a hot spring off to the side of the road. "Hey, May, remember when we went swimming over there? And I almost died trying to get that Time Flower?"

May giggled. "Almost died? Don't you think you might be exaggerating a bit?"

"I remember," Brock said, grinning. "Lucario was being all moody, and then Ash tried battling him, without using Pokémon!"

The trio laughed. Ash punched Brock in the arm. "I'm surprised you noticed that. After all, during the course of that entire adventure you were busy fawning over Kidd."

"Max was traveling with us too, wasn't he?" Brock asked, eager to change the subject. He turned to May. "Where is Max, anyway?"

"On his Pokémon journey. He wants to collect badges like you, Ash. In other words, I have no clue where he is."

Serena, obviously uncomfortable with how close Ash and May were, stopped. "Hey, is that the Tree of Beginnings up ahead?"

Ash, May, and Brock halted their conversation and followed Serena's line of sight. About a quarter of a mile away, a massive, multilayered rock formation stood, towering over the surrounding forest and reaching above the clouds. The grass patches that lined its cliffs were a sickly shade of yellow, as well as the crystals that littered the area. Ash could tell that something was wrong.

"Yep," Dravven said grimly. "Let's go."

* * *

As the group travelled deeper into the Tree of Beginnings, Ash began recognizing familiar sights from his previous expedition. He had received a pretty nice tour his first time, seeing as trying to find Pikachu had led to encounters with a trio of golems who tried to murder everyone. Ash frowned. "Where are Regirock, Registeel, and Regice?"

"I don't know," Dravven murmured. "This is bad, worse than I previously thought. But we're almost to the heart. Let's keep going."

The next chamber was enormous, with bridges of crystal criss-crossing throughout, leading to more tunnels. Dravven set his foot on one of the bridges, making sure it was sturdy, then strode up the bridge confidently, May and Brock on his heels. Ash was about to follow, but Serena stopped him. "Hold my hand?"

Ash smiled and obliged, proceeding to lead the Pokémon Performer up the bridge. He didn't notice the look that she and May exchanged.

After trekking through forests of crystals and avoiding countless "blood cells," which were red, gel-like, human-sized organisms in the shapes of Pokémon that were known for attacking anything that they deemed a threat (which apparently included humans), the group finally reached the heart of the Tree. A large, red, crystalline structure not unlike a chandelier lined the top of the chamber, and reclining on it was a Pokémon.

The creature was catlike and pink in color, but it wasn't always like that. Mew had a nasty habit of transforming perfect replicas of other Pokémon and playing tricks on the townspeople of Cameron Palace (which, one time, included harmlessly kidnapping Ash's Pikachu and Team Rocket's Meowth). Noticing the new arrivals, the New Species Pokémon glided down to eye level. It smiled, then proceeded to steal Ash's hat.

"Is this...Mew?" Serena asked, watching as Pikachu attempted to retrieve Ash's hat by chasing the Mythical Pokémon around the room.

"Yep," Dravven replied. He turned to Ash. "Notice anything odd?"

Ash looked from Mew to the yellow crystals. "The Tree is dying, but Mew is doing just fine? I thought neither could live without the other."

"That was the case, until Lucario saved the Tree of Beginnings many years ago. It now relies off of both it and Sir Aaron, my ancestor."

"You're related the Sir Aaron?"

"I am." Dravven walked to the center of the room, now standing directly underneath the chandelier. "Unfortunately, there is only one way we can save the Tree, at least that I know of. We'd need a full-fledged Aura Guardian, but all of the strongest Guardians died out a long time ago. I've heard that some people aim to become Guardians themselves, but fail to control even the tiniest bit of Aura. It's like a Goldeen attempting to fly; it just doesn't work."

"You're a full-fledged Aura Guardian, right?" Brock asked. "Why can't you heal the Tree?"

Dravven laughed nervously. "You see, my Guardian training wasn't exactly...complete, when I left. The world was in danger, and all of my fellow Guardians wouldn't listen to me. So, I decided to come here myself in order to teach you, Ash, to become a Guardian."

"So, you're a fraud?" Ash inquired, raising his eyebrows.

"Not entirely. I can still control Aura, to some extent. In fact, people thought I was the Chosen One a while ago, because I was so powerful." Dravven sighed. "However, being as powerful as I am comes with a price. I have these...episodes."

"What do you mean?" May asked.

"I can be a bit...off, to some extent. Some people might use the word 'insane.'"

"You've got to be kidding me," Brock murmured to himself. Speaking up, he continued: "So, we follow you blindly only to find out you're not entirely mentally stable?" He then turned to Ash. "Are you sure this was the best idea?"

Before Ash could speak, Pikachu directed his attention from Mew to Dravven and scuttled over to him, hopping up and down. Ash frowned. "Pikachu may not like Dravven, but he certainly trusts him. That's good enough for me."

Brock frowned but said nothing more.

"I brought you all here for a reason," Dravven said, stepping forward. "Ash, you remember how you helped Lucario save the Tree of Beginnings the first time, correct?"

The Pokémon Trainer nodded.

"You have the potential, like me, to become an Aura Guardian. But, then again, so do your friends." He nodded first to May, then to Serena, both of whom wore shocked expressions. "Now, you all might be asking yourselves, 'If May was with Lucario during the entire first expedition to the Tree of Beginnings, why did Lucario only sense Ash's Aura and not hers?' Well, Ash is indeed the Chosen One, and his Aura has the potential to be stronger than anyone, and everyone, else's."

Dravven took a moment to let that sink in.

"This is ridiculous," Ash started. "Again? Really? I've been the so-called 'Chosen One' at least a dozen times now. How is this possible?"

"I'm not sure," Dravven replied, "but I'm sure it has something to do with Mew. That's why I brought you here to explain all of this. We need to find and capture as many Legendary Pokémon as possible before Team Shade gets their greedy paws on them. Mew is our first catch, and possibly our most important. We might have to split up. We can cover more ground that way."

Serena shook her head. "This isn't happening."

"Unfortunately, it is. The Tree may be dying, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the world has to." Dravven closed his eyes. "Team Shade is here, in Hoenn. They poisoned the Tree of Beginnings, and now they're going after the Legendary Pokémon." Dravven's eyes snapped open. "There are still some here."

The temperature in the room dropped, and a figure appeared in a puff of smoke. The man looked the same as the one the group encountered previously, with the ninja outfit and shock of white hair. He stood at the ready, tossing a Master Ball into the air. In a flash of white light, Hoopa materialized into existence.

"You thought we'd leave without Mew? Hoopa, Hyperspace Hole. Get rid of these intruders."

Knowing Hoopa's typing, Ash decided to release Greninja in hopes of dealing the most damage. In turn, Serena, May, and Brock released Sylveon, Beautifly, and Steelix, respectively. Before he could escape, Dravven tackled the mysterious person, pinning him to the ground.

Around the cavern, the crystals glowed scarlet. Siphoning energy from them, Hoopa created golden rings around the room, and glided through one of them at a fast pace. Attempting to chase it, Steelix stuck his head through the same wormhole Hoopa disappeared through, only for it to appear out of another ring around the room. Hoopa, meanwhile, fell through a wormhole near the top of the ceiling, landing a Sucker Punch on the Iron Snake Pokémon's head. Steelix howled in pain, and the sound of grinding metal rang out across the room. Hoopa snickered and disappeared through another wormhole.

In turn, the various trainers called out attacks, which their Pokémon adeptly put into action. Greninja hopped through one of the portals, preparing to launch a Feint Attack (which, Ash knew, was a move that always hit), while Sylveon charged a Moonblast, Beautifly whipped up an Air Cutter, and Steelix, having recovered from its injury somewhat, burrowed underground.

As the battle raged around him, Dravven held the mysterious man down. "What are you trying to accomplish? Your goal is impossible!"

"Our goal is a simple one that can be simply executed," he hissed. "Once we drain the Aura of enough Pokémon, controlling the legends is merely a matter of subjecting them to the Manipulator."

"The...what?" Although Dravven couldn't see under his mask, he could tell that the man was grinning.

"You'll see soon enough."

Suddenly, and with surprising force, Hoopa's master pushed Dravven off of him. He stood up and shouted something in an unknown language. All around the room, the wormholes started closing and, at inhuman speeds, ran towards the nearest one and jumped into it. The portal closed behind him.

Dravven stood up, brushing the dust off of his outfit. He looked at the trainers and their Pokémon, all of whom looked to be exhausted. "Did they get Mew?"

Ash started to say something, but before he could, Brock's form shifted. He shrunk and became more catlike, and a long, pink tail sprouted from his back.

Mew floated in the air above a stunned Steelix.

"I guess not," Ash said, shaking his head. Then, his facial expression changed to one of complete horror. "Where's Brock?"

* * *

Steven Stone stepped out of the elevator and into the top floor of the Devon Corporation building in Rustboro. He walked towards the meeting hall, passing multiple people who held an air of worry. Opening the door to the conference hall, he immediately made eye contact with his father, who nodded grimly. "Take a seat."

Steven quickly sat in the seat between Norman and a girl he didn't know.

Mr. Stone cleared his throat. "You all know why we're gathered here-"

"To discuss the fact that Hoenn and the rest of the world is going to hell, yes." The voice that spoke was gruff, and belonged to a large, muscular man with dark skin.

"May I remind you, Matt," Brawly intervened calmly, "that you and the rest of your 'Team Aqua' clan almost ended the world three years ago?"

"I've changed," Matt replied, huffing. "I wouldn't be here if I hadn't."

"Yes, I have be so kind as to invite you into my building," Mr. Stone said, intervening before the argument turned violent. "Now, please refrain from arguing. This is a serious matter at hand, and we need everyone's full attention. Arguing does nothing except tear us apart."

Silence fell.

"Now, I agree with Matt, the world is indeed 'going to hell.' My son can confirm that rumors of the terrorist group known as Team Shade is in fact, not a myth, but a serious threat who is at large as we speak. We know nothing of their plans, other than the fact that they want to eliminate Ash Ketchum, whose whereabouts are currently unknown."

"Hey, I saw that kid on the news yesterday," Sidney said. "He's wanted in Kanto for having knowledge of Professor Oak's disappearance."

"I know Ash personally," Roxanne objected. "He would never kidnap Professor Oak. We can rule him out as a suspect."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Phoebe murmured dreamily.

"I would." It was the girl sitting next to Steven who spoke up. Her pink hair was tied in a ponytail, and her purple eyes scanned everyone in the room. "I've only met him a couple times, but I know he was the one who defeated both Team Magma and Team Aqua with the help of his friends and that blasted Pikachu. Why would he go from being a savior to being a terrorist, especially when he knows that Team Shade wants him dead?"

Silence again.

"What do you propose we do?" Winona asked.

"Simple," Steven replied. "We spread awareness. If anyone knows the location of any Team Shade members, be it grunt or admin, then we track them down and arrest them. If we find Ash along the way, we should do the best we can to offer help."

Scattered versions of either "yes" or "no" resounded across the room.

"Good," Mr. Stone said. "Norman, I believe you've been tracking Team Shade's movements-"

Before he could continue, an explosion suddenly rocked the building, blasting a hole in the wall and sending everyone flying. Steven quickly got to his feet and released his Metagross, whom he promptly Mega Evolved.

A black helicopter hovered in the air. A Toxicroak and a Gabite hopped out of the chopper with their trainer, landing firmly on the ground. The man looked oddly familiar to Steven. He had spiky brown hair and tan skin. He wore a combat suit with a purple _S_ stitched across the chest. A strange metal plate covered the entire right side of his face, and a red targeter replaced his right eye.

"Brock?"

The trainer smiled darkly. When Brock spoke, his voice was different than Steven remembered. It was almost as if he spoke through someone else, like an echo. It was more...evil.

"Not anymore."

 **What's wrong with Brock? Will May and Serena get over their differences? Will Dravven ever get those nasty frozen burritos? Find out next chapter (first, of course, I should probably update Forever Flames before the Minecraft community kills me)!**

 **Also, sorry once again for being so late. Now that the school play is over, I'll be able to write quite a bit more. Stay tuned!**


	9. Here There Be Dragons

**Yes, I know I haven't updated in over a month. Yes, I know this isn't chapter two of Forever Flames, and that the story was deleted. I'm here now, I'm still sorting out lore, taking a break from Minecraft fics (except for the Convergence. I'm also starting up Enderborn again, so if you're interested in that, Google "Minecraft Origins Enderborn" and click on the first link. This is another chapter that doesn't feature Ash. Please review! Also, there's a poll on my bio. Check it out when you can ;D**

Chili, Cress, and Cilan bustled through the Striaton Gym, trying not to drop steaming platters of food and glasses filled with various drinks. They danced across the red polka-dotted floor and around white-tableclothed tables, always making sure the food was cooked to perfection before delivering it to their customers.

One customer in particular caught Cilan's eye. She was dark-skinned, with violet hair and brown eyes, which were covered by sunglasses. She wore casual clothing, but she didn't make eye contact with anyone. Cilan was wondering why she hadn't said hi yet.

"Iris?"

The Dragon Master hushed her waiter and former travelling companion. She glanced around, then pulled Cilan close and whispered into his ear: "Meet me in the Dreamyard in five minutes." She pushed him back, said "Thank you," and proceeded to exit the restaurant. Cilan blinked twice.

Chili and Cress came up behind their lime-haired brother. "Didn't you use to travel with her?" Cress asked.

"Alongside that boy and his Pikachu?" Chili added with a frown.

Cilan nodded. "You two keep the kitchen clean while I'm gone. I think something's wrong." Ignoring his brothers' glares, Cilan strode out the door, heading towards the Dreamyard.

* * *

Iris hated being the Champion.

First of all, she was forced to travel to various locations in Unova to judge various competitions, because people couldn't do that themselves, apparently. Secondly, people always trusted her judgement over other people's, even though she was only fifteen. Thirdly, she also had her Dragon Master duties to attend to, yet being Champion took a lot of time away from any personal activities. And lastly, and most importantly, she had to deal with Team Shade.

Sighing, Iris plopped down on a rock in the Dreamyard, thinking about she was going to explain the situation to Cilan. She had already talked to all of the other Gym Leaders in Unova about the threat that Team Shade posed, but she trusted Cilan more than any of them, mostly because they had traveled together a bit over a year ago and had become good friends. If anyone could help her, it was him.

Suddenly, a strong breeze blew through the Dreamyard. Iris stood up, glancing about. Usually, she could sense when people or Pokémon attempted to sneak up on her. She wondered how these two managed to evade her senses.

She turned around, coming face to face with a duo of dragons. One was a bit smaller than the other, but other than that, the only reason she could tell the two apart was by their coloration. The larger dragon was white and blue with red irises, and the smaller was white and red with orange irises. They both stared at the Dragon Master inquisitively.

Iris bowed low. "Latias. Latios. What are you two doing here? You're not up to any mischief, are you?"

Although the Legendary dragons could not speak, they could convey their emotions. Iris understood what they were feeling, and frowned, confused. They were scared.

"Hey, lady, could you move? You're blocking our view."

Iris whirled around. A pair of Team Shade grunts stood at the edge of the Dreamyard, holding Poké Balls. She frowned at the duo. "Latias, Latios, get out of here. I'll get rid of these clowns."

"As interesting as that would be…" The grunt threw the Poké Ball, releasing a Crobat in a flash of bright light. His companion did the same, sending forth a Drapion. "You're outnumbered, _Champion_." He said the last word mockingly.

Iris smirked. "I wouldn't use that title sarcastically if I were you." She released her own Pokémon, an Emolga. The grunts stifled a laugh.

"Well, if you're not going to take me seriously," Iris muttered. "Emolga, use Thunderbolt!"

The Sky Squirrel Pokémon complied, discharging a blast of lightning at its opponents. Because the attack was super effective, Crobat was knocked out instantly. Drapion, however stood its ground. Crobat's trainer gulped, but Drapion's trainer smirked. "You got spunk, kid, but that's not gonna save you. Drapion, Rock Tomb!"

"Stunfisk, Bulldoze!"

Iris smiled upon seeing Cilan enter the battle. Drapion turned to face the oncoming attack, only to be struck head-on by a wave of earthen matter. It slumped to the floor, unconscious. Its trainer shook his head, recalling his Pokémon.

"Give it up," Iris said. "There will always be someone to stop you."

The grunt laughed. "Will there?'

Suddenly, Iris felt as if she'd been punched in the gut. She fell to her knees, hands on the ground. Cilan attempted to reach her, but received a similar sensation upon entering the Dreamyard. A terrible screeching resounded in the sky. The two trainers forced themselves to look up.

Another grunt, this one female, was manning a strange device. Its base was rectangular, standing at about three feet tall. A satellite stood on top of the box, making the machine about five feet tall in total. The satellite was currently aimed at Latios, who looked like he was about to crash to the ground. Latias was nowhere to be seen.

"What are you doing to him?" Cilan cried.

"Changing his intentions," the female grunt murmured. "He's property of Team Shade now, and his friend will be too, once I find her." She stood back as Latios writhed in pain. "Behold, the Manipulator."

Iris and Cilan could do nothing but watch in horror as Latios crashed to the ground. When it finally finished squirming, it stood up. Its eyes were glowing red.

"Latios," the female grunt called. "Kill."

The Eon Pokémon stalked towards the duo, charging a Luster Purge attack. Right before it released the energy, Latias revealed itself, having been invisible, and shot towards Iris and Cilan. It grabbed hold of the two of them and teleported, causing Iris to black out.

* * *

Cilan sat up suddenly, alert. Standing up, he glanced about the clearing. Latias was curled up into a ball by a birch tree, visibly shaking. Iris was nowhere to be seen. Sighing, Cilan reached his hand into his pocket, groping for his phone. He frowned, then realized: he had left it at the café. Muttering a string of curses, Cilan walked over to Latias.

"Hey, are you okay? That teleportation must've left you pretty tired. Where did you bring us, anyways?"

"Sinnoh," Iris announced, striding into the clearing. "I saw a Glameow over there while I was picking berries." The Dragon Master lifted a basket. "Let's see what we can do for Latias."

"Sinnoh!" Cilan cried. "I can't be in Sinnoh! I have a restaurant to run! We have to have Latias take me back!"

"I don't think Latias is going to be teleporting you anywhere anytime soon. Teleportation must've taken a lot out of her. Not to mention that fact that her brother is evil now."

"What was that device? That woman called it an 'Aura Drainer.'"

"Nothing good," Iris replied. She crouched down next to Latias, holding out a Sitrus berry. Latias sniffed the fruit, then ate it in a single bite. "Cilan, did you happen to catch the news last night?"

The Connoisseur shook his head.

"Well, the gist of it is, Professor Oak's been kidnapped, and Ash Ketchum is the prime suspect."

"No!"

Iris nodded. "I'm assuming you don't believe the story either?"

"Of course not! Why would Ash have reason to kidnap anyone?"

"He wouldn't. I have reason to suspect that the people in the Dreamyard are part of the group behind Oak's capture. They call themselves 'Team Shade.' They've only recently emerged and their motives are unknown, although I think that the capture of Latios wasn't just for show."

Latias groaned, rolling over.

"We need to get her to a Pokémon Center!" Cilan said, walking over to the Eon Pokémon.

"Bad idea, unless we want to be ambushed by Team Shade in the dead of night," Iris replied. "No, we have to go to Celestic Town. There's someone there who can help us contact the Champion of this region."

Cilan frowned. "How do you expect Cynthia to help us?"

Iris just smiled.

* * *

"Why don't we have one of these in Kalos?" Serena marveled.

They had decided to split up. As Brock was nowhere to be found and searching for him would take time that they didn't have, Ash and Dravven had gone to Mount Chimney in order to locate Groudon, while Serena and May had been sent to Lilycove City to look for the old Team Aqua base. If Dravven's sources were correct, a group of Team Shade members had been stationed there not too long ago for unknown reasons. The plan was to find some Team Shade members and hopefully use their outfits to gain entry into the base.

Meanwhile, Serena stared up in awe at the Lilycove Mall, while May provided commentary. "It used to be a department store, actually. All Pokémon-related stuff. Now, it's one of the biggest shopping centers in the world. We don't have time for exploring."

"Come on, just a peek?" Serena pleaded. "We're going to need to take a break from saving the world at some point."

"We literally just started 'saving the world' yesterday. Plus, our enemies aren't resting, why should we?"

"That's because our enemies have no sense of fun!" Serena giggled. She took the Coordinator's hand and dashed into the mall, dragging the younger girl behind her.

Serena's definition of "a peek" turned out to be a couple hours long. The duo visited nearly every store imaginable, from clothing to jewelry to Pokémon accessories and everything in between. The expedition probably could've gone on a lot longer if they hadn't passed by the food court and May hadn't asked for a lunch break. The girls ordered their food and sat down at a table, waiting for their meals to arrive.

Serena glanced about at the various people in the food court. Hoenn's sense of fashion was definitely different from Kalos', most likely due to the differences in climate. She rarely saw anyone, either male or female, dressed in anything but a t-shirt or a tank top and shorts. She looked down at her own outfit (which was reminiscent of her earlier travels with Ash), which stood out compared to everyone else's, then to May's, which complemented the rest of the store. Noticing the Performer's glance, May leaned forward. "Level with me."

"What is it?"

"Do you have a crush on Ash?"

Serena blushed and turned away. "You're not shy at all."

May smiled. "It's okay, I used to like him too."

"Used to? Don't think I haven't noticed your hints. Seeing him again hasn't sparked any old feelings?"

May rolled her eyes and leaned forward. "Okay, fine. I'm obvious, but much less so than you. I'm surprised he hasn't caught you staring at him all this time."

Serena blushed again. Luckily, a waitress carrying the duo's food made for a great change in topic. Serena took a bite out of her sandwich, and May dug into her slice of pizza. The two ate in silence.

Right as they were about to finish, the sound of a voice startled them, magnified three times by a megaphone. A couple of police officers, a man and a woman, had found their way into the food court. "We have received an anonymous tip that Serena Yvonne and May Maple have been spotted in this area. Please step forward. We'd rather avoid using force."

Sweat began to bead on Serena's forehead, but she kept her facial expression relatively calm. Confused customers glanced around the room, wondering who the two culprits could be.

"That's no Officer Jenny," May murmured out of the corner of her mouth.

"A trick? A trap, maybe?" Serena responded, glancing over at the cops, both of whom looked impatient.

"Most likely. Perhaps they're Shade members in disguise?"

"Only one way to find out."

At the same time, Serena released her Delphox and May released her Blaziken, both of which landed on tables. The police officers ran their way, releasing their own Pokémon: a Mightyena and a Linoone. Mall patrons of all different types fled in terror.

"Delphox, Flamethrower on Linoone!"

"Blaziken, Mach Punch on Mightyena!"

"Linoone, Giga Impact on Blaziken!"

"Mightyena, Crunch on Delphox!"

May had been itching for some action. The journey from the Tree of Beginnings to Lilycove City had been uneventful, and the tension had been very uneasy. Without word of Team Shade's whereabouts, she had been afraid that they were planning something big. Now that they had decided to show themselves, May was ready to release some pent-up energy.

Serena had felt the same way as May, but she decided to take a calmer approach towards battling. Instead of attempting to deal the most damage, like May was attempting to do, Serena calculated her opponent's moves and strategizing where to strike next.

It was as if Ash's battling personality had split in two.

Mightyena and Blaziken were locked in combat, but May's starter's back was left wide open. At a command from his trainer, Linoone sprang up onto one of the tables and sprinted across the food court, charging up another Giga Impact. Hoping the element of surprise could aid in his attack, Linoone launched himself into the air, about to collide with the Blaze Pokémon. At the last moment, Delphox used Psychic on Linoone, sending him flying across the battlefield where he collided with his trainer. Mightyena attempted to retreat due to the distraction, but Blaziken sent a Mach Punch his way, knocking him unconscious.

After the short, heated battle, May and Serena had emerged victorious. The food court had suffered some reasonable damage, including tables and chairs scattered everywhere and scorch marks on the walls and ceiling. The two Shade members recalled their Pokémon before attempting to retreat. They were both pinned to the ground by Blaziken.

"What should we do with them?" Serena asked.

"Dravven said their hideout is located where the old Team Aqua base is. Maybe they could lead us there." They both glanced over at the grunts, who were glaring at them maliciously. May looked back at Serena. "We still need disguises, though. Barging into a terrorist base and being killed by an army isn't really on my bucket list."

Serena walked over to the pinned duo. "Hello!" she said cheerfully. "Do you happen to have any spare Team Shade outfits?"

"Why yes, we do!" the guard mimicked sarcastically. "While we're getting those, would you like us to tell you our super secret plans?"

May's eyes narrowed. "So that's how you want to play it, huh?" She walked over to Serena, who was already frowning down at the duo. "Tell you what, you give us the location of your base, and Blaziken doesn't break your neck. Deal?"

"Those are empty threats," one of the grunts responded. "If I were you, I'd call off your Blaziken. Reinforcements will be here soon."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. If they're anything like you, they'll be easy to defeat. Plus, once the police arrive, you'll be in just as much trouble as us."

Suddenly, May's eyes lit up. "Serena, do you remember what a female Team Shade outfit looks like?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"I bet the entire mall has evacuated at this point. We've caused quite a ruckus. What if we got what we needed to recreate those outfits, and you made them for us? You design outfits for your Pokémon all the time for showcases, right? It wouldn't be much different."

"But wouldn't that be stealing?"

"Sometimes, in order to beat the bad guys," May said grimly. "You have to play the bad guys." She nodded to Blaziken. "Let's go find a closet to stash these clowns in. We have a hideout to infiltrate."

 **Yep, pretty late. School's finally out (finally), so maybe I'll have more time for writing. Maybe. I've started playing Skyrim again, so we'll see. Anyways, thanks for putting up with my late uploads, and be sure to review! Sorry this chapter was kind of short :P Also, don't forget to check out that poll!**

 **~Turtle**


	10. Just an update

Hey guys,

Yeah, I know, it's been like 3 months since I last updated. I've had a serious case of writer's block recently, and the next chapter has been sitting in my Google Drive 2/3 finished for two of those months. Just know that I haven't abandoned this story, and I'm not planning on it. On the bright side, while I can't write, I can still plan. Pokemon Aegis is officially in the planning stages, and I've worked on developing the sequel to this story (which, by the way, will include Fakemon).

PM me if you have any questions.

-Turtle


	11. Update v2

So.

Let's get down to business, shall we?

Pokemon Legends is a complete mess (there, I said it). Because of this, I feel like rewriting the story (gasp) would be the best option at this point. Because I'm not that far into Legends, rewriting will not take nearly as much time as, per se, if I was halfway through the story. I've already gotten to work on how to improve the story, and so far it's looking pretty good. I have a pretty good storyboard outlined and, as always, my beta reader Subject666 is helping me. So, for now, please bear with me. I'm sure this new story will be one you definitely aren't prepared for.

~T


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